History
In the colonial period, conflicts between settlers and native tribes resulted in the abandonment of towns and missions including Melodía, Timbó, Naranajay and Remolinos.
Only Fort Borbon, today called Fort Olimpo, survived. Founded during the government of Alos and Bru, the garrison contained the southern advance of the Portuguese.
French settlers tried but failed to settle the area, with the exception of "Villa Occidental".
It was named Presidente Hayes after the War against the Triple Alliance, in honor of the United States president Rutherford B. Hayes, whose intervention resulted in Paraguay retaining the territory.
In 1906, during the political division of Paraguay, it was split in two regions, Oriental and Occidental. The latter was divided in military headquarters that depended on the War and Marine Ministry.
Important dates for this department include June 12 (Chaco Peace Day), September 29 (Boquerón Victory Day) and November 12 (Laudo Hayes Firm Day).
Read more about this topic: Presidente Hayes Department
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The greatest horrors in the history of mankind are not due to the ambition of the Napoleons or the vengeance of the Agamemnons, but to the doctrinaire philosophers. The theories of the sentimentalist Rousseau inspired the integrity of the passionless Robespierre. The cold-blooded calculations of Karl Marx led to the judicial and business-like operations of the Cheka.”
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947)
“[Men say:] “Don’t you know that we are your natural protectors?” But what is a woman afraid of on a lonely road after dark? The bears and wolves are all gone; there is nothing to be afraid of now but our natural protectors.”
—Frances A. Griffin, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 19, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)
“It would be naive to think that peace and justice can be achieved easily. No set of rules or study of history will automatically resolve the problems.... However, with faith and perseverance,... complex problems in the past have been resolved in our search for justice and peace. They can be resolved in the future, provided, of course, that we can think of five new ways to measure the height of a tall building by using a barometer.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)